Merz: strong NATO presence needed on the eastern flank.
A Russian drone strikes the territory of NATO member Romania. Germany condemns the incident and stresses its readiness to defend Alliance territory.
Berlin (dpa) - Germany has assured Romania of its solidarity as a NATO ally following the impact of a Russian drone on Romanian territory. The drone strike once again demonstrated Russia’s willingness to escalate the conflict, said Federal Chancellor Friedrich Merz on the social media platform X, adding that Germany would stand by its allies. “The incident once again shows that we need a strong NATO presence on the eastern flank. We are ready to defend Alliance territory,” he said.
A Russian drone struck a high-rise residential building in the Romanian city of Galați, near the border with Ukraine. The impact caused a fire on the tenth floor of the building and two people with minor injuries were treated at the scene, according to the interior ministry of the EU and NATO member state.
Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul said Russia’s reckless actions threatened collective security, adding that the response to this had to be unity. His thoughts were with those who had been injured, he said.
The German Defence Ministry said the incident “did not change the situation”, and that NATO was ready to defend Alliance territory, with the Bundeswehr continuing to make its contribution on the eastern flank.
